A horrible smell spread throughout the house, and the sickly fumes seemed to be originating from the kitchen. Smoke gushed out of the oven as I pulled out some dishes and a burnt plant. A baking sheet was placed directly under the melting plastic, while our small fan was working overtime to keep the fumes away from the smoke detector.

Some people use their oven as storage, because the only thing they’ve ever prepared is a bowl of cereal. While I do bake often, the oven can be a pretty good spot to quickly hide the evidence of a messy counter. Luckily, I usually have a great memory and remove dishes before preheating. Usually.

The plastic on the bottom of the oven floor started to harden, but we were busy trying to pry chunks off the metal racks. After using hot water, scissors and serrated knives, what was left of the plastic container was mostly in the garbage. The whirring of the bathroom fan and the loud exhaust hood reminded me of the time my roommate set her grilled cheese on fire.

The pressure to quickly hit record as a show is starting is too much for some people. For me, it depends who’s around me. When my roommate and friend had no idea how to extinguish the small fire, I looked around for a second and then threw a pot lid on the burning pan and spatula. After that I carefully placed a wet towel over the mess to help smother the flames.

I’m much more likely to scream when I see a spider, or even a rather large ant, but if it’s up to me to place a cup over it and get it outside than so be it. You don’t always have to be calm under pressure, or take charge of a group, but you should be able to assess the situation and know when to step up.

[Image via A Fish Who Likes Flowers]

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